CA1212149A - Multiple electrode array forming isopotential map for electrocardiograph - Google Patents
Multiple electrode array forming isopotential map for electrocardiographInfo
- Publication number
- CA1212149A CA1212149A CA000437435A CA437435A CA1212149A CA 1212149 A CA1212149 A CA 1212149A CA 000437435 A CA000437435 A CA 000437435A CA 437435 A CA437435 A CA 437435A CA 1212149 A CA1212149 A CA 1212149A
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- pin
- pin contact
- electrode
- body surface
- contact
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
An electrode for an electrocardiograph used for measuring potentials of a number of points of a body surface near the heart and producing an isopotential map thereof, has a plurality of spring-loaded rods movably mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction of the lengths thereof and urged toward the human body surface, and a pin contact set on the one end of each rod. Each pin contact set has a plurality of parallel electrically conductive spring loaded pin contact, movably mounted for movement reciprocally in the direction of its length for directly contacting the human body surface. The pin contacts of each set are mounted in a small area close to one another and are mutually electrically connected in parallel, the space between the pin contacts of each pin contact set being much smaller than the space between the adjacent small areas of the pin contact sets, whereby the potential at a position on the body surface contacted by a pin contact set can be detected as long as one pin contact in the set is in good contact with the body, even if the other pin contacts in the set are in bad contact.
An electrode for an electrocardiograph used for measuring potentials of a number of points of a body surface near the heart and producing an isopotential map thereof, has a plurality of spring-loaded rods movably mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction of the lengths thereof and urged toward the human body surface, and a pin contact set on the one end of each rod. Each pin contact set has a plurality of parallel electrically conductive spring loaded pin contact, movably mounted for movement reciprocally in the direction of its length for directly contacting the human body surface. The pin contacts of each set are mounted in a small area close to one another and are mutually electrically connected in parallel, the space between the pin contacts of each pin contact set being much smaller than the space between the adjacent small areas of the pin contact sets, whereby the potential at a position on the body surface contacted by a pin contact set can be detected as long as one pin contact in the set is in good contact with the body, even if the other pin contacts in the set are in bad contact.
Description
lZlZ14g FIELD OF THE ART
The present invention relates to an electrode for an electrocardiograph in which potentials ox the plural points of the ;
human body surface near the heart are measured, and through the .. lZ~Z~9 information processing of the measured of the potentials, the electrical activity of the heart is synthetically judged.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly to a most generally used electrocardiograph, the potential change of a six points of the chest in lapse of time is measured and shower in a graph with time as abscissa and potential as ordinate whereby the heart disorder is detected from the wave form obtained relative to each point. According to a recently developed newest electrocardiograph, 80 to 200 electrodes are applied to various points of the body surface near the heart and the potential of each point is measured, whereby the electrical activity of the heart is synthetically imaged By this electrocardiograph, a potential map at a certain time is made relative to the body .
surface near the heart Howe. In this body surface potential map, the body surface potentials are shown as an isopotential map so as to examine the distribution of the body surface potentials. This isopotential map is obtained e.g. by temporarily storing the potential of each electrode in a memory unit, calculating the isopotential point based on the potential of each electrode through a computer, and then drawing the isopotential line e.g. at a pitch of a few tens of micro volts on a television or a XY-plotter.
According to this electrocardiograph, a plurality of potential maps are obtained at intervals of the sampled time and the enlargement or contraction of the positively and negatively charged parts of the body surface near the heart are apparently ~2~Z~
recognized from the change ox the potential gradient whereby the electrical activity of the heart can be apparently indicated.
However, in the electrocardiograph of this kind, it is difficult to apply a number of electrodes to the points of the body surface with little contact resistance, and to stably and correctly detect the potential of each point.
For example, it takes four persons so long a time as 30 minutes to 1 hour to correctly place the conventional suction type electrodes to about 100 points of the body surface, and only one or two patients are examined in an hour even in the best case.
It is necessary that the electrodes of an electrocardiograph are applicable to any person adult or child, male or female, having different body shape. The electrodes must be free of errors in potential measurement due to the unevenness of the body surface or its upward and downward motion caused by the breathing. further, the electrodes are required not to give any terror, pains or sense of oppression to patients. Further, they are required to be applied or removed easily and rapidly, Rand to be easily maintained. Furthermore, it is necessary to place the electrodes correctly relative to one another or without deviation.
In detecting the potentials of the Parts of 'he body surface referable all the electrodes are pushed onto the body surface with a strong force so as to stably and correctly measure the potentials of the electrode contact points however, in an electrocardiograph for detecting the potentials of many points -the human body, a number of electrodes are employed And if the pressure applied by an electrode is 500g and 100 electrodes are used, a force as strong as 50kg in amount is applied on the chest. It necessarily gives a strong sense of oppression to patients. Therefore, such an electrocardiograph is extremely unsuitable for the use of examining the heart of patients or declined strength.
Consequently, practically usable electrodes cannot be obtained only by increasing the pushing force of the electrodes.
According to a conventional electrocardiograph, since signals fed from each electrode are amplified and shown in a graph, the bad contact of electrodes can be easily judged in the output graph of the electrocardiograph.
However according to improved the electrocardiograph an isopotential map of the body surface at a sampled time is shown, and therefore, it is more difficult than in the conventional electrocadlograph to judge the heart disorder Tom bad contact of electrodes in the map. Consequently, in order to examine the heart with a high accuracy, awl the electrodes must be always in sure electrical contact with the body surface. It conventional suction type electrode or an adhesive tape type electrode comes into electrical bad contact for a second per lo seconds, either one of 100 electrodes is always in bad contact and accurate measurement cannot be performed.
It is always known that an electrocardiograph which shows an isopotential map of the body surface near the heart can indicate more accurately and apparently the-electrical activity ox the heart than a conventional electrocardiograph which shows Z~L2~4~9 only the change of the voltage of the measuring point. However, according to this electrocardiograph, potentials of a large number of points of the body surface must be detected simultaneously and surly. Since this problem was not sufficiently solved, an electrocardiograph of this system has not spread yet.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode for electrocardiograph, in which potentials of a number of points of the body surface can be stably, surly and accurately detected and the electrical activity of patients of different body shapes can be measured in a short time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrode for an electrocardiograph, in which if either one of needle electrodes fails to be in sure contact with the body surface, an accurate potential distribution map can be obtained.
A further object of the present invention is to provide-an electrode for an electrocardiograph, in which pushing force of a needle electrode applied to the body surface can be decreased and potentials distribution map of the body surface can be obtained without giving heavy pains and uncomfortable sense to patients.
The above mentioned and other objects and novel features can be more apparently recognized from the following explanation described with reference to the appended drawings. These drawings are only for explanation and do not limit the scope of the present invention.
.
.
Lo In accordance with the present invention there is provided an electrode means for an electrocardiograph used for measuring potentials of a number of points of a body surface near the heart and producing an isopotential map thereof, the electrode means comprising; a plurality of rods movably mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction of the lengths thereof, resilient members, one connected to each rod, for resiliently urging one end of each rod in the direction of its length toward the human body surface, a pin contact set on the one end of each rod, each pin contact set having a plurality of parallel pin contacts, each pin contact being conductive at least on its surface and each pin contact being movably mounted for movement reciprocally in the direction of its length for directly contacting the human body surface; further resilient members, one connected to each pin contact, for resiliently urging the end of each pin contact in the direction of its length toward the human body surface; the pin contacts of each set being mounted in a small area close to one another on the rod and being mutually electrically connected in parallel, the space between the pin contacts of each pin contact set being much smaller than the space between the adjacent small areas of the pin contact sets, whereby the potential at a position on the body surface contacted by a pin contact set can be detected as long as one pin contact in the set is in good contact with the body, even if the other pin contacts in the set are in bad contact.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is potential curves of the body surface near the heart; Fig. 2 is a bloc diagram of an example of - ow/ by 6 -~2~Z~49 electrocardiograph in which an electrode according to the present invention can be used; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an example of electrodes; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an example of electrode; Figs. 5 to 6 are the sectional views of a rod; Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the rod; Fig. 8 is a bottom view of an example of electrode;
Fig. 9 is a sectional view illustrate a part of the electrode;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of a plate member; Figs. 11 to 12 are sectional views of an example of electrode; Fig. 13 is a connection diagram of an amplifier which is connected to the rod;
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and Fugue is a sectional view illustration the application of electrodes to the body surface.
EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION
An electrocardiograph in Fugue comprises ten electrodes 1, an electronic circuit 2, an operational switch 3, a XY-plotter 4 and a monitor scope 4'.
As shown on Fox, 4 and 8, the electrode 1 comprises eight sets of. needle electrodes ON.
The electrodes 1 are mutually connected through a movable member 7 ion the form of a string-like rubber-like elastic member. To the outermost electrodes 1 , an elastic winding band 8 is connected, and a connected tape 9 is sews onto the leading edge of the windowing band I
As shown in Fox and S, the electrode provided with the God R which are arranged to ye movable in the axial direction.
The electrode 1 comprises a downwardly opened box-like case 10, being electrode body, and two electrically isolated Plate members 11, 12. The rod R are penetrated through the plate member 11, 12 so as to be movable inward and outward there through Coil springs 13 , being push member are provided between the plate member 11, 12 so that each of the rod R is passed through the coil spring 13~
It its natural that member other than coil spring can be used for push member of the rod I For example, an air or oil cylinder can be used for push member.
~2~2~4~
The coil spring 13 is a counter spring and its lower end is connected to the middle portion of the rod R which its upper end is penetrated through the plate member 11 and connected to a conductor printed on the upper surface of the plate member 11 .
Each of the electrode 1 shown in Figs. 3 and 8 is provided with eight needle electrode sets S, and needle electrode set 5 comprises four needle electrodes SNOW
- Four needle electrodes ON are arranged in close to one another. The space between the needle electrodes ON is much smaller than that between the needle electrode sets 5. For example, the former is several to several tens of fractions of the letter. The needle electrode is a metal wire of stainless, copper, aluminum or conductive alloy.
As shown in Fugue, each needle electrode SUN is inserted into an axially elongated through hole H provided in the base B
at the head of the rod R so as to be movable in parallel with the rod I. The middle portion of the needle electrode ON is expounded and provided with a collar. The opening of the axially elongated through hole H is somewhat narrowed. And a coil spring S is inserted into the through hole H . The coil spring S is a resilient member for resiliently urging the needle electrode outwardly/ and it is a counter spring penetrated through the needle electrode ON. The lower end of the coil spring S urged the -;~ collar of the needle electrode ON and the upper end of thereof is urged against the narrowed opening of the axially elongated through hole H. The coil spring S has electric conductivity and the upper and lower ends thereof are in electrical contact with the needs 12~9 electrode ON and the base B by means of their own resiliency or by being welded or soldered onto the needle electrode SUN and the base B of the rod R, so that the heart potential is transmitted from the needle electrode ON to the rod R.
In Fig. 6, the needle electrode ON is penetrated through the nonconductive base B. The base B is formed of nonconductive material such as synthetic resin and fixed onto the head of the rod.
As shown in Fugue, the base B is provided with axially elongated through holes H with a given space there between similarly to the base B in Fugue, and the needle electrodes are penetrated through the axially elongated through holes H. The upper end of the coil spring S in the axially elongated through hole is electrically connected to the collar of the rod I
With this construction, if the lower end fuse of the base B comes in contact with the body surface, thy contact area does not increase more than the contact area when the needle electrode is in contact with the body surface, so that a set of needle electrodes can accurately detect the potentials of the points of the body surface with narrower contact area.
If either one of the needle electrodes ON comes out of contact with the body surface, the potential of the body surface can be detected through another needle electrode ON which is in contact with the body surface. Consequently, by an electrocardiograph having such a structure, the detection of the potential of the body surface can be especially ensured.
If an electrode set comprises four needle electrodes SUN
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and a needle electrode comes into bad contact for 1 second per 100 seconds, the probability of all of the four needle electrodes coming in bad contact is 1 second per 100000000 seconds i.e. close to substantially zero.
The space between the needle electrodes ON is as small as lam to 15mm.
In the upper plate member 11 of Fig. 4 , a tube member 16 is inserted into the through hole through which the rod R is passed.
The tube member 16 comprises a metal tube or a tube with an inside surface being smooth and of low friction resistance in order to lower the friction resistance between the tube member 16 and the rod R which is a metal wire on tube of stainless, copper, aluminum or conductive ally. As shown in Fugue, the tube member 16 is somewhat protruded downwardly below the lower surface of the plate member 11. The upper end of the coil spring 13 is put on the protruded portion of the tube member 16 with the rod R being pushed upwardly through the hole and the coil sprung being pressed. According to this stxuture, when the rod R is pushed to the uppermost position, the pressed coil spring 13 can be prevented from coming into contact with the rod R and thus from restricting the movement of the rod R. Therefore, the rod R always can smoothly go in and out through the hole. The pushed out by means of the coil spring 13 is prevented from being slipped out in such a manner that the enlarged portion of the rod R, to which the lower end of the coil spring 13 is fixed by solder joint or welding, is caught by the through hole 17 in the lower plate member 12. As shown in Fugue, the conductor 14 of ~;~12~49 copper layer ox the like is printed on the upper surface of the .. . .
upper plate member 11 and the lead wire 15 is connected to one end of the conductor 14.
In the electrode shown in Foggily. the golf spring 13 is provided on the upper end portion of the rod R and above the upper plate member 11. And the rod R is passed through the coil spring 13. The coil spring 13 is a tension spring. The upper end of the coil spring 13 is connected to the upper end of the rod R
with the lower end connected to the conductor printed on the surface of the plate member 11. end the lead wire 15 is connected to the conductor.
In the electrode shown in Fig. 12, coil spying 13 are provided above and below the upper plate member 11. According to this structure, one end ox either one or both of the upper and , lower coil springs is connected to the conductor on the plate member if, and the lead wire 15 is connected to the conductor. In Ellis case, either one of the coil springs may be soft, that is, of a relatively low damping factor which indicates the power required for stretching the coil spring by a unit length:
The coefficients of resiliency Of the coil spring 13 for urging the rod and the coil spring S for urging the needle electrode ON are preferably so determined that the rod R is complexly pushed in when four needle springs ON are completely pushed-into the axially elongated through holes.
The movable member 7 connecting the electrode with one another may be formed of nonelastic string or belt, or soft and elastic one.
I
The lead wire 15 connected to the electrodes are gathered into an electrically shielded wire 26 and connecter to the electronic circuit 2.
Since the potentials detected through the electrodes are considerably low, attention must be paid to removing of the external noises.
For this purpose, the metal electrode case shield whereby the retie of signal to noise can be improved. In order to further lower the noise level, it is fabourable that a divine for amplifying the detected signal through the electrode, eye. TV am is evaded within the electrode case.
Most preferably, the amplifier 18 is one having high input impedencè of JET input. Such an amplifier is not necessarily voltage-amplified, and amplifiers of high input impudence, low output impudence and voltage gain 1 can be used.
naturally, an amplifier can be used the gain of which is above If the rod R is a big around tube, the amplifier can be mounted in the rod R, and the amplifier can be mounted in the base B too. The amplifier is shielded by the electric conductive electrode case 10 or rod R or base in which the amplifier is mounted In Fugue, the electrodes are applied to the human chest surface, each electrode is put on the body surface near the heart, and then the two ends of the winding band 8 is connected mutually by a connectable tape 9 whereby the electrodes are applied to the body surface under a given pressure. In this step, the outside of the electrode 1 may be further tightened by an elastic band 19 so as to push the electrodes more intensely - ~1219i9 --the electronic circuit 2 is adapted to perform information processing of the electrical signal transmitted through the electrode according to a determine system, for example, to calculate the isopotential curves based on the electrical signal transmitted through the electrode at intervals of a sampled time,' and then transmit the output signal thereof to the X-Y plotter 4 and the monitor scope 4' to show the isopotential maps of the body surface.' An electrode according to the present invention is used in an electrocardiograph shown in Fugue and can stably detect the heart potentials, therefore, though not shown It is natural that the electrode can be used in a conventional electrocardiograph in which potentials of a plurality of human body surface points near the heart are detected to seek the change of the heart potential in lapse of time - INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY
An electrocardiograph is available as an apparatus for detecting heart disease or detecting heart disease accompanied by other diseases in its early stages And since, according to this electrode, the time required for examining a person is very short, the operation being very easy, parts thrown away after a measurement like an adhesive tape type electrode being few and thus the cost of the measurement being low it is especially suitable for the group examination of heart disease I
The present invention relates to an electrode for an electrocardiograph in which potentials ox the plural points of the ;
human body surface near the heart are measured, and through the .. lZ~Z~9 information processing of the measured of the potentials, the electrical activity of the heart is synthetically judged.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly to a most generally used electrocardiograph, the potential change of a six points of the chest in lapse of time is measured and shower in a graph with time as abscissa and potential as ordinate whereby the heart disorder is detected from the wave form obtained relative to each point. According to a recently developed newest electrocardiograph, 80 to 200 electrodes are applied to various points of the body surface near the heart and the potential of each point is measured, whereby the electrical activity of the heart is synthetically imaged By this electrocardiograph, a potential map at a certain time is made relative to the body .
surface near the heart Howe. In this body surface potential map, the body surface potentials are shown as an isopotential map so as to examine the distribution of the body surface potentials. This isopotential map is obtained e.g. by temporarily storing the potential of each electrode in a memory unit, calculating the isopotential point based on the potential of each electrode through a computer, and then drawing the isopotential line e.g. at a pitch of a few tens of micro volts on a television or a XY-plotter.
According to this electrocardiograph, a plurality of potential maps are obtained at intervals of the sampled time and the enlargement or contraction of the positively and negatively charged parts of the body surface near the heart are apparently ~2~Z~
recognized from the change ox the potential gradient whereby the electrical activity of the heart can be apparently indicated.
However, in the electrocardiograph of this kind, it is difficult to apply a number of electrodes to the points of the body surface with little contact resistance, and to stably and correctly detect the potential of each point.
For example, it takes four persons so long a time as 30 minutes to 1 hour to correctly place the conventional suction type electrodes to about 100 points of the body surface, and only one or two patients are examined in an hour even in the best case.
It is necessary that the electrodes of an electrocardiograph are applicable to any person adult or child, male or female, having different body shape. The electrodes must be free of errors in potential measurement due to the unevenness of the body surface or its upward and downward motion caused by the breathing. further, the electrodes are required not to give any terror, pains or sense of oppression to patients. Further, they are required to be applied or removed easily and rapidly, Rand to be easily maintained. Furthermore, it is necessary to place the electrodes correctly relative to one another or without deviation.
In detecting the potentials of the Parts of 'he body surface referable all the electrodes are pushed onto the body surface with a strong force so as to stably and correctly measure the potentials of the electrode contact points however, in an electrocardiograph for detecting the potentials of many points -the human body, a number of electrodes are employed And if the pressure applied by an electrode is 500g and 100 electrodes are used, a force as strong as 50kg in amount is applied on the chest. It necessarily gives a strong sense of oppression to patients. Therefore, such an electrocardiograph is extremely unsuitable for the use of examining the heart of patients or declined strength.
Consequently, practically usable electrodes cannot be obtained only by increasing the pushing force of the electrodes.
According to a conventional electrocardiograph, since signals fed from each electrode are amplified and shown in a graph, the bad contact of electrodes can be easily judged in the output graph of the electrocardiograph.
However according to improved the electrocardiograph an isopotential map of the body surface at a sampled time is shown, and therefore, it is more difficult than in the conventional electrocadlograph to judge the heart disorder Tom bad contact of electrodes in the map. Consequently, in order to examine the heart with a high accuracy, awl the electrodes must be always in sure electrical contact with the body surface. It conventional suction type electrode or an adhesive tape type electrode comes into electrical bad contact for a second per lo seconds, either one of 100 electrodes is always in bad contact and accurate measurement cannot be performed.
It is always known that an electrocardiograph which shows an isopotential map of the body surface near the heart can indicate more accurately and apparently the-electrical activity ox the heart than a conventional electrocardiograph which shows Z~L2~4~9 only the change of the voltage of the measuring point. However, according to this electrocardiograph, potentials of a large number of points of the body surface must be detected simultaneously and surly. Since this problem was not sufficiently solved, an electrocardiograph of this system has not spread yet.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode for electrocardiograph, in which potentials of a number of points of the body surface can be stably, surly and accurately detected and the electrical activity of patients of different body shapes can be measured in a short time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrode for an electrocardiograph, in which if either one of needle electrodes fails to be in sure contact with the body surface, an accurate potential distribution map can be obtained.
A further object of the present invention is to provide-an electrode for an electrocardiograph, in which pushing force of a needle electrode applied to the body surface can be decreased and potentials distribution map of the body surface can be obtained without giving heavy pains and uncomfortable sense to patients.
The above mentioned and other objects and novel features can be more apparently recognized from the following explanation described with reference to the appended drawings. These drawings are only for explanation and do not limit the scope of the present invention.
.
.
Lo In accordance with the present invention there is provided an electrode means for an electrocardiograph used for measuring potentials of a number of points of a body surface near the heart and producing an isopotential map thereof, the electrode means comprising; a plurality of rods movably mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction of the lengths thereof, resilient members, one connected to each rod, for resiliently urging one end of each rod in the direction of its length toward the human body surface, a pin contact set on the one end of each rod, each pin contact set having a plurality of parallel pin contacts, each pin contact being conductive at least on its surface and each pin contact being movably mounted for movement reciprocally in the direction of its length for directly contacting the human body surface; further resilient members, one connected to each pin contact, for resiliently urging the end of each pin contact in the direction of its length toward the human body surface; the pin contacts of each set being mounted in a small area close to one another on the rod and being mutually electrically connected in parallel, the space between the pin contacts of each pin contact set being much smaller than the space between the adjacent small areas of the pin contact sets, whereby the potential at a position on the body surface contacted by a pin contact set can be detected as long as one pin contact in the set is in good contact with the body, even if the other pin contacts in the set are in bad contact.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING
Fig. 1 is potential curves of the body surface near the heart; Fig. 2 is a bloc diagram of an example of - ow/ by 6 -~2~Z~49 electrocardiograph in which an electrode according to the present invention can be used; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an example of electrodes; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an example of electrode; Figs. 5 to 6 are the sectional views of a rod; Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the rod; Fig. 8 is a bottom view of an example of electrode;
Fig. 9 is a sectional view illustrate a part of the electrode;
Fig. 10 is a plan view of a plate member; Figs. 11 to 12 are sectional views of an example of electrode; Fig. 13 is a connection diagram of an amplifier which is connected to the rod;
queue pa -~21Z~
and Fugue is a sectional view illustration the application of electrodes to the body surface.
EXAMPLE OF THE INVENTION
An electrocardiograph in Fugue comprises ten electrodes 1, an electronic circuit 2, an operational switch 3, a XY-plotter 4 and a monitor scope 4'.
As shown on Fox, 4 and 8, the electrode 1 comprises eight sets of. needle electrodes ON.
The electrodes 1 are mutually connected through a movable member 7 ion the form of a string-like rubber-like elastic member. To the outermost electrodes 1 , an elastic winding band 8 is connected, and a connected tape 9 is sews onto the leading edge of the windowing band I
As shown in Fox and S, the electrode provided with the God R which are arranged to ye movable in the axial direction.
The electrode 1 comprises a downwardly opened box-like case 10, being electrode body, and two electrically isolated Plate members 11, 12. The rod R are penetrated through the plate member 11, 12 so as to be movable inward and outward there through Coil springs 13 , being push member are provided between the plate member 11, 12 so that each of the rod R is passed through the coil spring 13~
It its natural that member other than coil spring can be used for push member of the rod I For example, an air or oil cylinder can be used for push member.
~2~2~4~
The coil spring 13 is a counter spring and its lower end is connected to the middle portion of the rod R which its upper end is penetrated through the plate member 11 and connected to a conductor printed on the upper surface of the plate member 11 .
Each of the electrode 1 shown in Figs. 3 and 8 is provided with eight needle electrode sets S, and needle electrode set 5 comprises four needle electrodes SNOW
- Four needle electrodes ON are arranged in close to one another. The space between the needle electrodes ON is much smaller than that between the needle electrode sets 5. For example, the former is several to several tens of fractions of the letter. The needle electrode is a metal wire of stainless, copper, aluminum or conductive alloy.
As shown in Fugue, each needle electrode SUN is inserted into an axially elongated through hole H provided in the base B
at the head of the rod R so as to be movable in parallel with the rod I. The middle portion of the needle electrode ON is expounded and provided with a collar. The opening of the axially elongated through hole H is somewhat narrowed. And a coil spring S is inserted into the through hole H . The coil spring S is a resilient member for resiliently urging the needle electrode outwardly/ and it is a counter spring penetrated through the needle electrode ON. The lower end of the coil spring S urged the -;~ collar of the needle electrode ON and the upper end of thereof is urged against the narrowed opening of the axially elongated through hole H. The coil spring S has electric conductivity and the upper and lower ends thereof are in electrical contact with the needs 12~9 electrode ON and the base B by means of their own resiliency or by being welded or soldered onto the needle electrode SUN and the base B of the rod R, so that the heart potential is transmitted from the needle electrode ON to the rod R.
In Fig. 6, the needle electrode ON is penetrated through the nonconductive base B. The base B is formed of nonconductive material such as synthetic resin and fixed onto the head of the rod.
As shown in Fugue, the base B is provided with axially elongated through holes H with a given space there between similarly to the base B in Fugue, and the needle electrodes are penetrated through the axially elongated through holes H. The upper end of the coil spring S in the axially elongated through hole is electrically connected to the collar of the rod I
With this construction, if the lower end fuse of the base B comes in contact with the body surface, thy contact area does not increase more than the contact area when the needle electrode is in contact with the body surface, so that a set of needle electrodes can accurately detect the potentials of the points of the body surface with narrower contact area.
If either one of the needle electrodes ON comes out of contact with the body surface, the potential of the body surface can be detected through another needle electrode ON which is in contact with the body surface. Consequently, by an electrocardiograph having such a structure, the detection of the potential of the body surface can be especially ensured.
If an electrode set comprises four needle electrodes SUN
~Z12~
and a needle electrode comes into bad contact for 1 second per 100 seconds, the probability of all of the four needle electrodes coming in bad contact is 1 second per 100000000 seconds i.e. close to substantially zero.
The space between the needle electrodes ON is as small as lam to 15mm.
In the upper plate member 11 of Fig. 4 , a tube member 16 is inserted into the through hole through which the rod R is passed.
The tube member 16 comprises a metal tube or a tube with an inside surface being smooth and of low friction resistance in order to lower the friction resistance between the tube member 16 and the rod R which is a metal wire on tube of stainless, copper, aluminum or conductive ally. As shown in Fugue, the tube member 16 is somewhat protruded downwardly below the lower surface of the plate member 11. The upper end of the coil spring 13 is put on the protruded portion of the tube member 16 with the rod R being pushed upwardly through the hole and the coil sprung being pressed. According to this stxuture, when the rod R is pushed to the uppermost position, the pressed coil spring 13 can be prevented from coming into contact with the rod R and thus from restricting the movement of the rod R. Therefore, the rod R always can smoothly go in and out through the hole. The pushed out by means of the coil spring 13 is prevented from being slipped out in such a manner that the enlarged portion of the rod R, to which the lower end of the coil spring 13 is fixed by solder joint or welding, is caught by the through hole 17 in the lower plate member 12. As shown in Fugue, the conductor 14 of ~;~12~49 copper layer ox the like is printed on the upper surface of the .. . .
upper plate member 11 and the lead wire 15 is connected to one end of the conductor 14.
In the electrode shown in Foggily. the golf spring 13 is provided on the upper end portion of the rod R and above the upper plate member 11. And the rod R is passed through the coil spring 13. The coil spring 13 is a tension spring. The upper end of the coil spring 13 is connected to the upper end of the rod R
with the lower end connected to the conductor printed on the surface of the plate member 11. end the lead wire 15 is connected to the conductor.
In the electrode shown in Fig. 12, coil spying 13 are provided above and below the upper plate member 11. According to this structure, one end ox either one or both of the upper and , lower coil springs is connected to the conductor on the plate member if, and the lead wire 15 is connected to the conductor. In Ellis case, either one of the coil springs may be soft, that is, of a relatively low damping factor which indicates the power required for stretching the coil spring by a unit length:
The coefficients of resiliency Of the coil spring 13 for urging the rod and the coil spring S for urging the needle electrode ON are preferably so determined that the rod R is complexly pushed in when four needle springs ON are completely pushed-into the axially elongated through holes.
The movable member 7 connecting the electrode with one another may be formed of nonelastic string or belt, or soft and elastic one.
I
The lead wire 15 connected to the electrodes are gathered into an electrically shielded wire 26 and connecter to the electronic circuit 2.
Since the potentials detected through the electrodes are considerably low, attention must be paid to removing of the external noises.
For this purpose, the metal electrode case shield whereby the retie of signal to noise can be improved. In order to further lower the noise level, it is fabourable that a divine for amplifying the detected signal through the electrode, eye. TV am is evaded within the electrode case.
Most preferably, the amplifier 18 is one having high input impedencè of JET input. Such an amplifier is not necessarily voltage-amplified, and amplifiers of high input impudence, low output impudence and voltage gain 1 can be used.
naturally, an amplifier can be used the gain of which is above If the rod R is a big around tube, the amplifier can be mounted in the rod R, and the amplifier can be mounted in the base B too. The amplifier is shielded by the electric conductive electrode case 10 or rod R or base in which the amplifier is mounted In Fugue, the electrodes are applied to the human chest surface, each electrode is put on the body surface near the heart, and then the two ends of the winding band 8 is connected mutually by a connectable tape 9 whereby the electrodes are applied to the body surface under a given pressure. In this step, the outside of the electrode 1 may be further tightened by an elastic band 19 so as to push the electrodes more intensely - ~1219i9 --the electronic circuit 2 is adapted to perform information processing of the electrical signal transmitted through the electrode according to a determine system, for example, to calculate the isopotential curves based on the electrical signal transmitted through the electrode at intervals of a sampled time,' and then transmit the output signal thereof to the X-Y plotter 4 and the monitor scope 4' to show the isopotential maps of the body surface.' An electrode according to the present invention is used in an electrocardiograph shown in Fugue and can stably detect the heart potentials, therefore, though not shown It is natural that the electrode can be used in a conventional electrocardiograph in which potentials of a plurality of human body surface points near the heart are detected to seek the change of the heart potential in lapse of time - INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY
An electrocardiograph is available as an apparatus for detecting heart disease or detecting heart disease accompanied by other diseases in its early stages And since, according to this electrode, the time required for examining a person is very short, the operation being very easy, parts thrown away after a measurement like an adhesive tape type electrode being few and thus the cost of the measurement being low it is especially suitable for the group examination of heart disease I
Claims (6)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An electrode means for an electrocardiograph used for measuring potentials of a number of points of a body surface near the heart and producing an potential map thereof, said electrode means comprising:
a plurality of rods movably mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction of the lengths thereof;
resilient members, one connected to each rod, for resiliently urging one end of each rod in the direction of its length toward the human body surface;
a pin contact set on said one end of each rod, each pin contact set having a plurality of parallel pin contacts, each pin contact being conductive at least on its surface and each pin contact being movably mounted for movement reciprocally in the direction of its length for directly contacting the human body surface;
further resilient members, one connected to each pin contact, for resiliently urging the end of each pin contact in the direction of its length toward the human body surface;
the pin contacts of each set being mounted in a small area close to one another on said rod and being mutually electrically connected in parallel, the space between the pin contacts of each pin contact set being much smaller than the space between the adjacent small areas of the pin contact sets, whereby the potential at a position on the body surface contacted by a pin contact set can be detected as long as one pin contact in the set is in good contact with the body, even if the other pin contacts in the set are in bad contact.
a plurality of rods movably mounted for reciprocal movement in the direction of the lengths thereof;
resilient members, one connected to each rod, for resiliently urging one end of each rod in the direction of its length toward the human body surface;
a pin contact set on said one end of each rod, each pin contact set having a plurality of parallel pin contacts, each pin contact being conductive at least on its surface and each pin contact being movably mounted for movement reciprocally in the direction of its length for directly contacting the human body surface;
further resilient members, one connected to each pin contact, for resiliently urging the end of each pin contact in the direction of its length toward the human body surface;
the pin contacts of each set being mounted in a small area close to one another on said rod and being mutually electrically connected in parallel, the space between the pin contacts of each pin contact set being much smaller than the space between the adjacent small areas of the pin contact sets, whereby the potential at a position on the body surface contacted by a pin contact set can be detected as long as one pin contact in the set is in good contact with the body, even if the other pin contacts in the set are in bad contact.
2. An electrode means as claimed in claim 1 in which each pin contact set comprises from two to six pin contacts.
3. An electrode means as claimed in claim 1 in which each pin contact is a metal pin.
4. An electrode as claimed in claim 1 in which the resilient members and the further resilient members are coil springs.
5. An electrode as claimed in claim 4 in which each rod is a conductive material rod, and the coil springs are conductive material coil springs, the coil spring or each pin contact being coiled around the pin contact and having one end electrically connected to the pin contact and the other ends of the coil springs for the pin contacts of a set being mutually electrically connected in parallel to the rod on which the set is mounted.
6. An electrode as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an electrode case in which said rods are mounted, and a plurality of amplifiers in said electrode case, one connected to the pin contacts in each set.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000437435A CA1212149A (en) | 1983-09-23 | 1983-09-23 | Multiple electrode array forming isopotential map for electrocardiograph |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000437435A CA1212149A (en) | 1983-09-23 | 1983-09-23 | Multiple electrode array forming isopotential map for electrocardiograph |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1212149A true CA1212149A (en) | 1986-09-30 |
Family
ID=4126160
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000437435A Expired CA1212149A (en) | 1983-09-23 | 1983-09-23 | Multiple electrode array forming isopotential map for electrocardiograph |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1212149A (en) |
-
1983
- 1983-09-23 CA CA000437435A patent/CA1212149A/en not_active Expired
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |